Tadd Schwartz

CHICAGO (Reuters.com) - Miami businesses have been pulling out all the stops - including handing out free cocktails - to try to coax money from a large influx of tourists ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl.

Leading commercial litigator Andrew C. Hall of the Hall Lamb and Hall law firm chimes in on the Scott Rothstein fraud and its impact on the legal profession in this candid Miami Herald Q&A.

Maintaining integrity in the legal profession

Andrew Hall, founder and managing partner of Hall, Lamb and Hall, reflects on the Scott Rothstein case and the state of the legal profession.

While many law firms and companies alike are doing well despite today’s challenging economic environment, the mood and message this holiday season is different.  Schwartz Media Strategies’ clients Leesfield & Partners and Kluger Kaplan Silverman Katzen & Levine, two prestigious law firms with a long history of giving back to the South Florida community, kept with tradition this holiday season in supporting local charities, while recognizing the hard work of their own staff with festive, yet modest holiday parties.  See today’s excellent article on this topic by Vanessa Blum of American Lawyer Media.

Economic Crisis
Law firms forego holiday parties for holiday giving

Tis the season to be … frugal?

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From Tadd Schwartz, Principal of Schwartz Media Strategies
When will we ever learn that stonewalling the press only makes things worse?

It's easy playing Monday Morning Quarterback, but really - this one is a no-brainer.  Tiger going into hunker-down crisis mode and addressing the public through his web site is only adding fuel to this growing inferno.  We need to hear from this guy, and soon, before even his most loyal fans jump ship.  Whether you like Tiger or not, if you're following this story, your emotions have swung from concern to empathy to pity to embarrassment to anger.  By hiding out, he's enraging the very public that affords him his billion-dollar lifestyle.

My advice to Tiger:  while you're hiding out at home in Orlando, pop in the Godfather and pay attention to how Michael cleans house after he smells a rat.  Tiger's getting some really bad advice right now, most likely from the very same folks who served as his enablers during this three year "lost weekend" of sexual escapades.  Then he needs to man up and address his public and sponsors - in person.  Remember, Tiger is a lot more than the greatest golfer in the world - he's also one of the highest paid spokespersons in the universe.  That means he's got a squeaky clean rep to protect - like it or not.

The following article - by Rick Rilley of ESPN - is probably one of the best pieces I've read to date on the Tiger Woods drama. Las Vegas PR guru Dave Kirvin lays out a strategy that's so...let's use a Vegas term...MONEY, I wish I had come up with it myself.  Tiger - hire Kirvin immediately.  See ya on Oprah.

ESPN MAGAZINE: An image-rehab plan for Tiger Woods, by Rick Rilley
Tiger Woods is the first person in history to run his car into a hydrant and set himself on fire.

His reputation is shredded. His once-perfect name has been dragged through more mud than a Nantucket clam digger's boots. A once-spotless life is now an episode of "Cops."

So what now?

First, Oprah Winfrey.

Ricky Arriola, chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center, was just appointed by President Obama to serve on the 26-member Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which includes a mix of actors like Edward Norton and Sarah Jessica Parker, musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, and icons like Anna Wintour.

The appointment is for those who have a commitment to the humanities and arts, which Arriola certainly does. Under his watch, the Adrienne Arsht Center—the country’s third largest performing arts center—balanced its budget, paid off its bank debt seven years early, and helped revitalize the neighborhood in which it is a centerpiece. Arriola, who is just as likely to be seen enjoying a symphony at the Arsht Center as he is to be seen rocking out backstage during a Marley Brothers performance, spoke with Haute Living about the role of the center and the impact of Art Basel.

The state's leading business magazine reports on the day and evening retail and retaurant activity taking shape throughout Downtown Miami's Central Business District and along the Brickell Avenue entrance.  If you have not visited downtown Miami lately, come see for yourself the change that's underway throughout this pedestrian friendly community that being driven by a thriving mix of commercial, retail and residential activity.

FLORIDA TREND:
Restaurants Open Later in Downtown Miami

As public relations practitioners, we know business owners see the value of publicity and online/offline promotion of their organizations. But the reality is, the vast majority of small businesses can't afford to hire someone to help. What can an entrepreneur do on their own to spread the word about their company and services?

The Rothstein debacle is a public relations nightmare. Given that our firm has a number of clients in the legal industry and plenty of experience in crisis communications, we've been watching the debacle closely, and noting how RRA is managing the PR crisis that has ensued since this alleged fraud surfaced. Here's our evaluation.

By Jennifer LeClaire

THE REAL DEAL - NEW YORK & SOUTH FLORIDA REAL ESTATE

South Florida Business Journal - by Oscar Pedro Musibay

The Miami Downtown Development Authority gave its blessing Friday morning to a blueprint for the future of the city’s downtown area.

The plan, which has been years in the making, looks to develop a convention center, facilitate waterway and r